Gatley
Unlocking the potential of the former Gatley Golf Club site
Project information
Location
Cheadle
The Challenge
Appointed to support an outline planning application, our team was tasked with unlocking the development potential of the former Gatley Golf Club site. The proposal aimed to redevelop approximately half of the 18-hectare constrained site for a new residential community while retaining the remaining half as public open space. The key challenge was navigating significant physical and environmental constraints, most notably the active railway line dividing the site into distinct eastern and western parcels, as well as strict requirements surrounding tree retention, local open space deficiencies, and surrounding residential frontages. Furthermore, initial planning considerations required proving that a viable residential layout could deliver a high level of sustainability, including targeting a 20% biodiversity net gain, 10:1 replacement tree planting, and alignment with Passive House principles, without compromising the overall development yield or character.
The Role
turned these physical constraints into the foundational framework for a landscape-led masterplan. By leveraging our extensive experience with mandatory Welsh SAB drainage standards and technical constraint mapping, we seamlessly integrated surface water attenuation, utility easements, and topographical corridors into a robust green and blue infrastructure network. Rather than reducing developable area, our GI-led approach established clear parcelisation boundaries, accommodated complex gradients, and defined an outward facing layout with a legible street hierarchy. We ensured that green infrastructure, SuDS features, and active travel routes actively drove the placemaking strategy, creating an efficient, high-value framework tailored to strategic site requirements.
The Outcome
Our masterplan successfully secured planning traction by proving how a highly constrained strategic site can deliver a multi-phase allocation without compromising commercial density or design quality. The resulting design established a distinct, highly legible neighborhood where every development parcel positively interfaces with public open space. By embedding an extensive strategy of play, natural amenity, and sustainable drainage throughout the scheme, we delivered a robust, policy compliant masterplan that safeguarded the asset’s commercial yield, resolved key landscape hurdles, and set a clear benchmark for securing permission for complex site.
